Insulated rail joint



Nov. 9 1926.

Y 1,606,229 .71. A. HYLE E-r AL i l INSULATED RAIL JOINT Fileduan. 15', 1926 2 sheets-sheen 1 i' j z Nov. 9 1926.

J. A. HYLE ET AL INSULATED RAIL JOINT Filed Jan, 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

narran sTaTas JACOB Agrar-nn, or sfr.' tours, ivi'rssoonr, Annanr'rinn v. "TTANNIFIN Ann MARK incazza eaTlEfnT Aer Tics.

rnANKs, or CHICAGO, 'infr'.rnors.

INSULATED RAIL JGINT.

l Application filed January 15,l 1926. 4Seriali-Nn. 831,417.

This invention pertains to an improved vand novel railway rail joint especially deofthe rails where theV joint jisi'nstalled to vbe.

moved apart by expansion and contraction of the track rails, or the creeping or running of saidrails. Y

Another object `of theinvention is to so 530 construct the joint that a steel shim is utilized at each side `of the meeting ends of each ofthe track rails, and a single libre shim at each sidey of the rails adapted to overlap said steel -shims.- e

Further objects yof this invention are toi so construct the joint clamping bars that they arecaused to fit snugly into contact withwtheouter face of thefibresh-iins, with thesteel shims disposed between said fibre shimsand the track rails at a suitable distance away from the web of .the-rails so that as wear takes place caused by wave inotion, or otherwise, by 'drawing up the nuts on the securing bolts `the clamping bars are drawn. s il@ inwardly on both sides of Ithe meeting ends,`

ofthe rails until substantially all of the space formed between the shims and vthe web of the rails shall have been taken up.

The foregoing and such other objects asmay appear from vthe ensuingdescription are attained by the construction, larrangement, location and combination of the severall parts hereinafter more fully describech illustrated by the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changes in the precise shape, proportions and ininor details of construction may.

-be resorted to without Ideparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the, advantages of K shownin Figs. 2l and 3, thereby constituting reinforced andvmaterially strengthened head the invention.

.In the accompanying drawings formingapart of this specification it will be seen.

- thai-f;- p 1.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved rail oint' embodying .our invention..

Figure 2 is a transverse sectionV takeny in thev p lane of the dotted lines'Q-Q, Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure- 3 is a transversefsection takeniii the :pl-'ane ofthe dotted lines 8-.3 Fig.- l,

looking in the direction ofthearrows,

Figure e iszfm end View Showing .the .i11- Sulating bi'e member yi-nfull lines fitted-Qn the endfof one ofthe track rails, showin-g thevend of; the rail by the innery dotted `.lines andthe metal shim by tli'eouterdotted lines, y

Figure 5 is a slightly enlarged Apverspective of one ofthe rail joint gelang-ping bars ere.-

moved from jthe yrail joint,]and the securing boltsin cross-section. y i

vFigure .6 .is an V enlarged l side .elevation of the fshiins detached from the joint, showing the formation of their outer face and the securingboltsin cross-section, and

Figure 7 v,isa transverse sectioiitaken .in the'planeof .the dotted Vlines VTV-7, Fig.' 5.

. In't'he embodiment of our invention as .illustrated, .the numerals 1 indicate a pairof track rails,a`s shown in Figi, 2 designates what is well known inv the art as a' shim made bytheg rolled, pressed 4or drop forged.. process of-anydesired'thickness of a suitablegrade of steel disposed at each side of theltrack-rail and at each. side of the meeting endsuofgthe rails, .said shinis being adapted to be lsecured-snugly and tightly into contact with the lower surface .of .the head of the 'rail and the upper surfaceof the baserof the rail, and 3 .is asimilar shiml formed "of a 'single piece of any desirable insiilatiiigfibre and of any suitable thickness, extending the entire .length of the joint, eachof saidlfibrcl shim's being disposed in contact with` Vthe outer facev ofeach ofthe steel shiins and adapted to. be firmly secured into contact with the. said steel shims, rwhen assembled, by the rolled steel clampingl `bars 4, each o-f said bars being formed vwith a thickenedor reinforced innerupper end or head portion 5, `thelovver thickenedv or reinforced inner end ,or foot portion 6 and .aA reduced. connectingweb portion of the same thickness throughout said web portion,.as is clearly andV foot portions. y j

v`It will ybe perceived that each of thesteel through the Ebre shim.

shims 2 terminates at its inner end substantially in vertical alinement with the end of the respective track rail to which the shim is secured, with its terminating inner edge in contact with alaterally extended portion 7 of the insulatingV fibre member 8, which latter member is formed of any desirable thickness and is fitted between the meeting ends of the rails, with its extended portion forming a separating partition for the shims, and to insure safe and practical insulation.

Each steel shim member is provided with two or more openings therethrough, each fibre shim with four or more openings, and each clamping bar l is formed with four or more openings therethrough adapted to register with similar openings formed through the web of the track rails for the Yreception of the fastening bolts, and to each end portion of each large securing bolt 18 is fitted an insulating fibre washer 10, a metal ,washer 11 and the usual adjustable securing nut 12 for adjustably, firmly and rigidly securing the several parts together when properly assembled. Y

' lt is usual in this art to form the openings' through the web of each track rail about one fourth of an inch larger than the securing bolt used so that expansion will be permitted, and in our insulatedjoint it is preferred to use a bolt 9 one inch in diameter, which is passed ythroughthetwo central openings of the joint, that is, the two openings adjacent the meeting ends of the rails, and within each of said openings is snugly fitted an nsulating libre tube 9 of sufficient length to pass through thel opening formed in each steel shim and to overlap the opening formed These tubes being preferably about three sixteenths of an inch thick serve as a safe insulation for the bolts, these bolts 9, and their securingnuts 12 being mainly utilized for vforcing the clamp'y ing bars tightly into contact with the Ashims and retaining the joint reliably secured condition, while the two larger secu ing bolts 18, one adjacent each outer end'portion,y of the joint are preferably one and one-fourth inch in'diameter, which latter bolts may be properly termed king bolts7 are passed through the respective openings formed through the track rails,said openings being about oney and five sixteenths of an inch in diameter. These bolts 13 are so fitted in the openings formed through the rails as to 'i allow the usual slight wave movement thereof, caused by theheavy traffic thereover, and not chafe on the bolts, and since these bolts liest treated, and possess unusual strength, they serve to prevent the vends of the rails from being forced apart andretain the ends of the rails in tight condition,

and to resist all strains to which lthey may be subjected.

It will be understood that the bolts 12a pass through the fibre and steel shim openings and are adapted to fit snugly at each side of the shims so that said shims are prevented from sliding longitudinally away from the meeting ends of the rails, and the shim openings 1e are slightly elongated at their upper and lower ends, so that in the event that the steel shims are subjected to eX- cessive wear at their upper edges, the said shims will be permitted to rise or move upwardly in tight contact with the lower surface of the rail heads, when thesaid shims are adjusted inwardly by the securing nuts to compensate for wear, while the openings formed in the shims for the reception of the bolts 9 Yare su'liiciently large to prevent contactof said bolts with the steel shims during said inward adjustment, as will bel clearly evident by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. l

By reference to Fig, 6 of the drawing will be seen the normal relation of the securing bolts il and 13 with respect to the openings formed through the shims for the reception of said bolts at the time the said shims are lirst clamped and secured to the track rails. Y

The two central bolts 9 are each'provided with an oval shaped neck so as to prevent the bolt from turning when adjusting the securing nuts inwardly, and said bolts are provided with what is knownas thefEvertite spring locking device to retain them always in tight position, thereby insuring a tight joint under all conditions, and'furnishing an insulated joint of much increased longevity over the type of joint now employed.

The clamping plates or bars l are preferably made in substantially the contour, such as shown in F ig. 5 of the drawings, each plate or bar being formed with a strengthening extension 16 at its lower edge and centrally disposed, so as tooverlap the meeting ends of the rails a suitable distance, with the desired reinforced head and foot inner portions, and the joint is made preferably with only four bolts, although six bolts may be employed by making a longer joint and shims, and the four middle bolts then used will be of the small diameter, and the bolt adjacent to each end of the joint will be of the large diameter, and utilized in substantially the same manner asl when the four bolt joint is used. Further, it will be readily obvious that all of the insulating fibre parts employed in connection with our improved joint may be formed of any suitable thickness desired. f p

lt will also bepereeived that within'each opening adjacent each Vend of the clamping;

each tube 9 is adapted to rest' in contact with a fibre washer 10, the latter being disposed between a metal washer 11, and the outer face of the plate 4, so that the fibre will not be mutilated or destroyed by the adjustment of the securing nuts 12.

It will be readily obvious that the lateral extensions 16 impart additional strength to the clamping bars or plates 4 at the point where such `strength is especially desired, and that theA type of joint hereinbefore described provides a safe,'practical and reliable insulated joint for the purpose for which it is intended. 1

It will be understood that the king bolts hereinbefore described may be of any suitable size or dimensions in order that they may be employed in connection with any type or design of track rails to properly adjust the joint. Further, our joint is so designed that the intermediate securing bolts, whether two or more are utilized, are ofthe standard size, thus making it unnecessary to use any special type of bolt; that each steel and fibre shim may be split longitudinally or transversely into a plurality of sections or pieces if desired; that the main clamping b ar 4 may be made of any suitable shape or size, so that it may be employed in connection with any size or construction of track rails, and` may be rolled or forged the required shape from any desirable metal.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An'insulated rail joint, comprising track rails, a steel shim secured to the end y portions at each side of the meeting ends of the rails, an insulating fibre shim secured in contact with the outer face of Veach of said steel shims, means for permitting the upward movement of said shims to compensate for wear and means for tightly securing i said shims to the track rails.

2. An insulated rail joint, comprising track rails, a steel shim disposed in contact with the end portion of each rail at each side of the meeting ends of the rails, an insulating*v ing ends `of the rails formed with a ver-f tically elongated opening adjacent each end,

an insulating fibre shim secured to the outerl face of reach steel shim, a king bolt fitted toA the joint near each end thereof, and means i for permitting the upward move-ment of said shims when adjusted inwardly to compensate for wear, a king bolt fitted to the joint adjacent each end thereof, and means fol'.

adjustably securing said,l plate, shims and track rails together. j Y

5. An insulated rail joint, comprising track rails, a metal shim securedto the end portion of each rail at eachv side thereof and formed with an elongated opening adjacent each end, an insulating fibre shimsecured in contact with the outer faceof each metal shim, a clamping plate formed with a lateral extension at itslower edge overlap-ping the meeting ends ofthe rails and secured in contact with the outer face of each vfibre shim, a fibre tube fitted within each opening formed through the track rail and through each metal shim, and means for rigidly securing the shims, clamping plates and track rails together.

6. An insulated joint of the character described comprising track rails, ametal shim secured to the end portion of each track rail at each side thereof formed with a vertically elongated opening adjacent each end, an insulating vfibre shim secured in contact with the outer face of each metal shim, and means for adjustably securing the said shims tightly together in contact with said track rails.

7. An insulating joint ofthe character described, comprising track rails, a metal shim secured to each end portion of the track rails at each side thereof, an insulating fibre shim secured in contact with the outer face of each metal shim, fibreinsulating Y tubes fitted within the two central openings formed through the track rails, and extending through each opening formed throughy the metal shims, a vclamping plate secured in contact with the outer face of each fibrel shim, means forvpermitting the upward movement of each shim as they are adjusted y f inwardly to compensate for wear, and means for tightly andk rigidly securing the clampf ing plates, shims and track rails together. i y

JAooB AHYLE. 4 ARTHUR v. HANNIFIN. MARK rRAivKs.y 

